King Charles III celebrates 75th birthday without Prince Harry

King Charles III has celebrated his 75th birthday surrounded by well wishers but his youngest son was conspicuously missing amid the ‘deep rift.’

King Charles III’s 75th birthday celebrations kicked off to a sweet start as he was presented with a three-tier iced cake at a tea dance with other septuagenarians at Highgrove House, the family residence of King Charles and Queen Camilla. .

But the one person noticeably absent from the side of the sovereign – whose official 75th birthday is on Tuesday – was his younger son Prince Harry.

It comes as the King led Britain in a two-minute silence on Sunday to honour its war dead in his first remembrance service since being crowned, with Prince William in attendance and Prince Harry absent for the commemorations.

King Charles III reacts while holding a cup and saucer, as he meets with guests during a 75th birthday party for him, hosted by the Prince's Foundation, at Highgrove House. Picture: AFP

At his birthday party gathering, the King chatted animatedly to a number of guests, some of whom were chosen by ballot, who soaked up live music from a local rock choir and afternoon tea in the Orchard Room, overlooking the lush gardens.

The King was serenaded at a tea party on the eve of his 75th birthday and rolled his eyes in mock recognition.

The Rock Choir perform during King Charles III's 75th birthday party hosted by the Prince's Foundation at Highgrove House. Picture: Getty Images

He arrived to the sounds of the choir playing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, one of his favoured artists, whose lyrics he once described as “very moving”.

He was presented with a cup of tea before joining guests who jostled for selfies with him until aides urged them to put their phones away.

Later, standing by the layered cake, topped with a golden crown, there was a raucous rendition of Happy Birthday, as the King waved a knife and said: “Thank you very much.”

King Charles III reacts while holding a knife as he prepares to cut a birthday cake as he attends his 75th birthday party. Picture: AFP

Cutting a chunky slice from the bottom he chuckled and looked inside the Victoria Sponge, saying: “It’s always fun to look inside.”

“Who can I donate it to? Can we get rid of it? We need to give you doggie bags,” he joked.

“The King’s friends and family have been invited to his two day celebrations but the sad thing is the Duke of Sussex won’t be there and the King would have loved his son at his side for his birthday,” said royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams.

The cake designed by Jan Blackmore from Buttercup Pantry ahead of King Charles III's 75th birthday party. Picture: Getty Images

King Charles III's 75th birthday party hosted by the Prince's Foundation at Highgrove House. Picture: Getty Images

“The Duke of Sussex maintains the palace never invited him to his father’s celebrations – it’s a dire deterioration since Charles’s last landmark birthday, his 70th, five years ago when Harry attended, but a lot can happen in five years.

“The King is saddened his son is not with him but he did not send greetings to Harry on his 39th birthday in September and in public has to maintain the image that he has distanced himself from his son after Harry’s attacks on his eldest son William and wife Camilla.

“There is a deep rift and it’s impossible at the moment to see how it can be mended but deep down the king misses Harry.”

Prince Harry was absent. Picture: Getty Images

King Charles III was animated at times. Picture: Getty Images

There was an original composition created for the occasion by 14-year-old Bill Goulding, a local gardening enthusiast, who regularly visits Highgrove Gardens.

Special guests at the event included Jay Blades, a Prince’s Foundation ambassador, as well as sitters from the Windrush: Portraits of a Pioneering Generation project, commissioned by the King to mark the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush to the UK.

Guests born in 1948 applied to attend via a ballot and were invited in recognition of their contributions to their local communities.

The gardens at Highgrove House, Tetbury. Picture: Getty Images

The party, organised by the Prince’s Foundation, was inspired by the charity’s health and wellbeing program, which hosts tea dances at its Dumfries House headquarters for those at risk of loneliness.

The event aims to bring people together to celebrate their 75th birthdays in the lavish surroundings of Highgrove Gardens, in recognition of their contributions to the communities.

A similar birthday party will be held for the King and the local community at Dumfries House on the same day.

Catering at King Charles III's 75th birthday party. Picture: Getty Images

King Charles III's shares a joke with a guest. Picture: Getty Images

The King recently joked that he was finding it hard to forget the fuss around his impending birthday, telling John Azah, the chief executive of Kingston Race and Equalities Council, on Wednesday “How did you know? (about his birthday) … I can’t escape.”

The monarch will mark his official birthday on Tuesday by launching his new five-year Coronation Food Project where he and Queen Camilla will visit a surplus food distribution centre outside London to hear how food waste can be used for social good.

King Charles III's shakes hands with a guest, including local residents who have been nominated by friends, family and organisations also turning 75. Picture: Getty Images

The King was keen to use his birthday to “shine a light” on a cause close to his heart.

He has organised eight new food hubs to store food, prepare and package it before redistributing it to food banks and community kitchens.

As part of the celebrations on Tuesday, Charles will also mark other 75th anniversaries taking place this year, including Windrush 75 and the NHS’s 75th anniversary at Buckingham Palace for 400 nurses and midwives, as part of this year’s NHS 75 celebrations before hosting a private dinner for friends and family at Clarence House.

Originally published as King Charles III celebrates 75th birthday without Prince Harry